David O. Russell is once again in the conversation for his controversial approach towards fellow Hollywood associates. The filmmaker behind critically acclaimed films such as American Hustle and The Fighter has a history of clashes with his fellow directors and actors. And this time, a Sony executive found himself on the receiving end of a blow from the filmmaker, as reports suggest that Russell punched the executive at an Oscar party following an accidental trip over him.
David O. Russell Punched Sony Executive at an Oscar Party
According to a recent report from Puck, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker, David O. Russell lost his temper when the Sony executive Sanford Panitch accidentally tripped over his leg during an Oscar party. The Fighter director got furious and punched Panitch hard in the stomach.
The Sony executive, however, was unfazed after seeing the person who punched him. As per the report, the witnesses stated that upon seeing that it was Russell who punched him, Panitch “laughed and moved along.”
This is not the first time the 65-year-old filmmaker has made headlines for his abusive behavior towards his fellow Hollywood associates. Russell reportedly strangled the Oppenheimer director at a Hollywood party after Jude Law was allegedly offered to star in a Nolan film, instead of Russell’s 2004 comedy thriller, I Heart Huckabees.
David O. Russell Strangled Christopher Nolan Over Jude Law
Hollywood star Jude Law starred in David O. Russell’s 2004 film I Heart Huckabees. However, reports suggest that the actor had initially left the film as he sought to star in a big-budget production. The offer reportedly came to him from Christopher Nolan.
However, Russell was adamant about casting Law in I Heart Huckabees. Although he started considering Jim Carrey to replace Law in the comedy film, he demanded Nolan give up the English actor in regards to “artistic solidarity” when he encountered him at a Hollywood party.
His ways of stating the condition, however, were not very convenient for the Oscar-winning filmmaker, as he reportedly put him in a headlock in front of everyone. It was followed by Jude Law reaching out to the filmmaker to discuss his role in I Heart Huckabees. However, Nolan is not alone on the list, as Russell also had conflicts with I Heart Huckabees star Lily Tomlin.
Tomlin and Russell’s conflicts were revealed in a leaked clip on social media. Reports also suggest that he almost got into a fight with George Clooney while working on the 1999 film Three Kings. And his behavior continued even on the set of the 2013 film American Hustle.
His behavior towards actress Amy Adams infuriated Christian Bale so much that he reportedly told him to “stop acting like an a**hole.” However, despite all this, the filmmaker is all set to work on his new film, a Linda Ronstadt biopic with the singer-actress Selena Gomez.
